Cafe De Architects in Chicago - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

The best pancakes in the city are here. I love the ambiance and service.

Very affordable pricing and plenty of options to choose from

This place is an excellent find for CA . It has won awards for being one of the most romantic dinner settings. I thought it had a very cool vibe! It is a bit pricey, but to be expected for location and quality of food. The grilled octopus appetizer is excellent as well.

The Sofitel hotel’s restaurant Café des Architectes has been replaced by a new restaurant, CDA. There is no comparison, the food was terrible. My roasted potatoes were greasy and tasted like they were cooked with old oil. My caprese omelet was flavorless. At least the décor is the same and the service was excellent. If you do go there, just order coffee and enjoy the surroundings. There are many other breakfast options within a few blocks.

Cafe des Architectes was simply not what I thought it would be. However, that does not mean it was lackluster. On the contrary, it was tasty but neither me or my lunch date were WOWed by the lunch menu. When we arrived for a 12:30PM reservation on a Wednesday afternoon, the dining room was completely empty. Shortly after seating, it was half booked. The space itself is absolutely stunning. It is very modern and bright and open. The flatware was of quality design and so were the linens. The details put into the aesthetics no doubt mirror the type of modernity you find in the hotel. The service here was good. Almost too good. The waitstaff approached us too many times during the meal to refill water or inquire as to how everything was or if we wanted more bread. The chicken sandwich was delicious and so were the fries. My enjoyed his pork belly sandwich, but did feel as if it was overcooked. Pork belly tends to be very juicy (due to the fact) but he mentioned it was a tough a just a bit dry. I won't be running back to CdA but if I do come back, it will be for dinner.

So bad food was gross. Don’t recommend going there

Hard to find a good restaurant open for breakfast on the Gold Coast. Fresh OJ, great French pressed coffee. Had salmon and bagel- very good. Service was very good.

This is always a staple when I visit Chicago !! The French Press and fresh croissants are a must!

Really enjoyed the lunch. We were the only people in the room as it was a bit late, 1:30, when we arrived and we were never rushed. Very pleasant experience.

Delicious affordable food with awesome atmosphere. We will go back, highly recommended!

It was the best meal on rest week- new to neighborhood and will be back!!!

This restaurant has changed. They used to have a real chef, they don't anymore. Felt like pre-cooked, warmed up, cafeteria food.

Great dinner. Lovely staff. Really enjoyed our time.

Did not meet my expectations. It use to be my favorite French restaurant.. Yelp, Open table still have old photos and reviews. Now it’s new menu, slow service and just pure disappointment

While the food was quite delicious, it was overshadowed by the poor service and ambience. The ambience feels like a 90s chrome explosion, very harsh and not enjoyable. For the service, we were very disappointed that we ordered several courses to share, and specifically asked for them to be spaced out so we could enjoy each course as it came. All five dishes were delivered within five minutes of each other. It was not an enjoyable experience. Sadly, I do not think we will return.

They never seated me and said I didn’t have a reservation

Sergio was wonderful and the male back waiter was very attentive but the older female with glasses who served us was awful. She hardly came by except for when she was trying to rush our meal and make us leave.

In addition to the CDA experience, the following experience at Le Bar was AbFab!!!

Located in Hotel Sofitel , Cafe Des Architects has been renovated recently and now is known in short form as CDA. Gone are the huge hung metal lampshades which were impressive but had knocked my head quite a few times when getting up after a tasty meal The restaurant serves bfast in the morning ( no buffet around 10-12 fixed dishes out of which Egg Benedict with ham or Kale and the Quiche standout besides the complimentary pastries) . In it's new Avatar it has started serving mostly Mediterranean small plates and finger food.. In the evening it supports the bar ( Le Bar ) besides looking after it's visitors. The food , the ambiance and specially the staff is great. In Chicago's blink and you will miss short summer it's a bliss to sit outside and savour the food.

Food is very good, don't miss out with the cheese and meat platter as a starter. Prompt service and good customer service.

Muy bien en general. Buen menú, servicio de calidad, hermoso ambiente. ¡Me encanta la atención al detalle! Recomendación definitiva

Excellent food and service—formerly Café des Architectes, rebranding a success!

Very nice small plate choices. The mushroom tartine was outstanding!!! The seabass was cooked perfectly and large enough to share if you had a couple small plate dishes. The seabass was truly wonderful. Save room for dessert because they also were quite good. The almond cake would be a recommendation. Service was sort of slow but I think server did a great job considering it did not look like she had enough help the evening we visited.

Nos aventuramos a bajar de nuestra habitación de hotel para el postre antes de irnos a la cama. Nos saludaron calurosamente y nos sentamos. Pedimos 2 postres por separado, la fresa - ruibarbo y la tarta de limón. Descubrimos que el Stawberry - Ruibarbo en realidad no tiene mucha Fresa o Ruibarbo, sino que es pesado en el pastel de Sémola. No estoy seguro si esta es la norma o lo que obtienes más tarde por la noche. La Lemon Torte se presentó perfectamente y tenía un sabor increíble.

Unfortunately not as good as the former Cafe des Architectes. The food was alright overall. The appetizers / tapas were very good. We had a large group so we ordered a dozen different ones and most of them were excellent. The main courses were acceptable but nothing memorable, even the paella which seemed to be one of the specialties. So i would recommend sticking to the appetizers and tapas. Service was lacking and unattentive, despite the restaurant being more than half empty when we were there.

Disappointed, on yelp says French and now it's Mediterranean. Menu is completely different. Shrimp wasn't fresh, the salad too salty, waitress said the baby octopus is good, we tried it but it's bland, and the fish was supposed to be sea bass, she says it's the most popular, it's nothing like any sea bass i had in other restaurants, doesn't taste like it, doesn't look like it. Paella was under cooked, we had to cancel it, cuz we don't want to wait 30-45 mins for it. All the pictures on Yelp for the former French restaurant looks good, that's why me and my friends wanna try it out, but not the actual Mediterranean restaurant now, service is slow too, not recommended.

Food excellent, but service from waitress a little Slow! Bus boys excellent!

This is perfect place. The small plates are exquisite, and the atmosphere is quiet but also lively.

They are super understaffed. Service was terrible. Took us over an hour to get our food, and we were one of only seven tables. The food was good at least. Appetizer was a super small portion, paella was an adequate size. Overall there are much better places in Chicago to spend that kind of money.

Really enjoyed both the food and tge ambiance!! Will definitely come back!!

Lynn is a very good waitress. We appreciated her personality and her service.

Although there was a private event at CDA, accommodations were made in Le Bar for our dinner and we were able to order off the CDA menu. Much appreciated. Food was delicious

Amazing service and food !!!! Highly recommend . Great new menu not that old one was bad. A little more French would make it better.

With new menu, good food, and good service....and best of all, quiet so grown ups can talk

Very glad to find the rebranded/reconfigured CDA take shape in the Sofitel. Focused around "French Bistro" small bites, shared plates portions. The charcuterie selections and cheese are to die for, Jamon Serrano took our lead as well as Bresoala and Sobrasada. We made our own platter and it came served with toast points, jams and honey glazed nuts. we added Manchego over the Camembert. it was way too hot for a spreadable cheese. We decided to make shared plates our meals and can't get enough of the Crispy Haloumi, you'll fight over the crunchy bits. The Baby Octopus was prepared sous vide and grilled to perfection... all this made a great meal for two. We can't wait to come back and make it to table portions and dessert.

I went here with a girlfriend using a Travelzoo voucher. We both had 2 glasses of wine and ordered the wild mushroom tartine, pea ravioli, stuffed eggplant, and grilled branzino to share. The ravioli was delicious and I did enjoy the branzino and tartine. The eggplant was not what I expected and had a tartness that was a bit odd for me. My friend enjoyed it though. For desert we shared the lemon tart and hazelnut/chocolate served in a jar. Overall, a nice dinner. I would come back here with a voucher, but generally it's a bit out of my price range.

Unfortunate that they've shortened the name to "CDA" and lost the imagery of Cafe des Architectes--because the room at the Sofitel is SO lovely: light-filled, geometric and extremely pleasing. I've been here through the years and miss the haute cuisine frenchi-fied food a bit. The "sharing" menu and american-style egg breakfasts seem a rung down from their former fare, but it still is a beautiful and very tasty spot for brunch. A companion had the lobster omelet, which was delicious, as was the shareable shrimp dish, and we had the bomboloni for dessert, which were divine. Pastries are standard there and the chocolate croissant was perfection. Service was a bit slow but very friendly. If you are looking for a fancy, gold-coast brunch spot that is both pleasing to the eye and palette, CDA is a great choice.

We dined here on our first night in Chicago, so we weren't at our best. However, the pleasant service and good food were very pleasant. We had a number of small plates in whuch the octopus and the pea ravioli stood out as excellent. Not cheap, but worth it.

The restaurant at the Sofitel hotel in Chicago is excellent for breakfast. They have a great assortment of dishes, different options, obviously including French cuisine choices, and excellent coffee (I prefer French press). I've not tried it for lunch or dinner, but its very good for breakfast for sure.

Great time always there at CDA. Staff is always so nice. We were there for brunch and our server was so attentive. The food is always delicious.

Really enjoyable space, meal, and service...

We enjoyed a wonderful dinner. We tried several small plates and all were outstanding. Fresh locally sourced ingredients and so well prepared. They have a new chef and he is outstanding. Not just another hotel restaurant. Breakfast was delicious too. Tasty croissants.

Disappointing-- some creative elements to the food but mostly overpriced food and beverage, mediocre service, and disappointing ambiance (other than a nice window). We were one of only 3 tables at 7 pm on a Friday night (with nice weather)-- so wondering how it got 1405 reviews averaging 4.6. Not sure where those people were but it seems like ratings might be confused with its predecessor, Cafe de Architectes, as CDA is a new offering-- according to staff. This is a hotel restaurant trying to make it in the upscale restaurant market, but it still seems like a not so great hotel restaurant.

Great food but lackluster ambience. Oddly empty for a good value.

La scelta sul menù è poco ampia, i piatti sono decisamente mediocri. Assolutamente non all'altezza dell'Hotel nel quale risiede.

Great service, chic atmosphere and good food. Would definitely recommend.

Excellent French Restaurant housed in the Sofitel Downtown Chicago. Superb taste, we had the special Christmas Menu, and it was wonderful. all the items tasted very good, the temperature of the food was perfect, the flavors of the meat, sauces was superb, everything was excellent. Also the service was exceptional, very professional, polite, as it should be.!

Very disappointing. Service was poor-seated over 15 minutes before someone checked in with our party. Food was overlooked and cold when delivered to table. So regretful I took visiting friend to this restaurant.

Great place to dine for breakfast !! Excellent menu options and nicely prepared food.

The food was great. The server packed my breakfast for me because I was running late for my meeting. I love the cleanliness of the place. Totally recommend it.

We were looking for a nice place to have a lovely brunch We found this one Elegant place with fresh pastries,excellent omelettes with mushroom and oignons very tasty and a perfect croque Monsieur. The service by Joshua was wonderful, warm and professional We definitely think to come back for the eggs Benedict’s next time This place is also very nice during the week for a lunch or dinner. You definitely needs to try this place .!!💎💎💎💎💎

La comida normal. El servicio X, no es malo, tampoco es que estén atentos, hay que buscar al mesero porque tienden a “desaparecer” del comedor por momentos. Solo hay dos meseros y como 5 ayudantes. Muy intercultural el lugar, de todas las nacionalidades. Te hablan en francés lo más que pueden. Está interesante. El Chocolatin muy bueno!! El café en prensa francesa también.

Muchísima comida. Un exceso. Excelente sabor.

We had a reservation and it was confirmed this am. HOWEVER THESE IDIOTS CLOSED THE RESTAURANT FOR A PRIVATE EVENT. this city is too good, I’ll never be back. Dumb Dumb Dumb

It was closed but we received no notice of that. Disappointed that they did not let us know.

When you stand at the threshold of this restaurant stop and take it in. It is slick. It's red, white, black, artsy, modern, cozy, tall, and glass-coated. Definitely fashionable. But when you sit in one of those cool-looking chairs the ambience takes a hit. The music provides a jazzy groove that promotes conversation. The staff is attentive and at least one person actually speaks French. I sat looking out of the tall, concave, tilted, window at red outdoor umbrellas and trellis work as I listened to the creak of my flimsy chair. There was an angry horse staring at me, nose flaring. After the complementary tapenade arrived, the meal went down from there. The menu was nice, clearly defined and intriguing. Expensive, too. To be sure, the entree was expertly prepared and presented, the wine, lovely but the portions made me think that there was famine in the land. The service was nice--not commensurate with the cost--but nice. It was a one-time experience after which I needed a burger and fries.

The food was not that good. The décor needs updating...getting shabby. But our waiter was excellent.

This is a wonderful choice if you want a nice quiet atmosphere and excellent French/American food. Service is excellent and staff is welcoming and accommodating. Can eat inside or outside.

Service was wonderful! My cheeseburger, not so much.

The buses are obnoxious when you sit outside breathing the fuel.

I think they should improve the wine list. The options at lower end where two expensive and not worthing. 60 usd for a Pay’s Doc. Come on! I didn’t see good cabernets fron California. The waiter was very kind though.

Excellent hotel very well located, fab room and perfect bed! Nice shower and bath and right in the center of town

Wanted to take advantage of beautiful day by dining outside. Was lovely. Food was great.

Love Sofitel's Café Des Architect. Food was quite exceptional. Service left a great deal to be desired. Love the quiet outside café. Especially love free parking for those dining at the restaurant.

We've eaten here a number of times and have always been impressed by the creative take on French cuisine. The staff is amiable and highly proficient. The dining room is beautiful and we always leave very happy with our dining experience. We have eaten here with all ages - from young children to the elderly - who have all enjoyed this restaurant.

Excellent food in a beautiful setting of Chicago. We sat outside at a lovely table. All ingredients in the salads, salmon and Caeser shrimp salad very fresh and delicious. The bread was phenomenal. Very nice waiter and attentive staff.

I have been to this restaurant a number of times and decided to visit again for Sunday lunch. This being a French restaurant in the French hotel, I was hoping for a few French dishes. Unfortunately, I was somewhat disappointed. The menu was basically American,...

Great place for brunch. Lovely streets, surrounded by trees and gardens. The french style brunch looks beautiful and tastes delicious. The waiters keeps offering all kinds of bread, service was impeccable as well. Love this place.

Wonderful staff, patient and great service.

Ok - not sure why the the previous reviewer was dissing this - but it almost put me off ...... I am glad I went .... I actually stayed here (at the Sofitel - French style based hotel) and tried the food ... OMG -...

Wish we went somewhere else. Why bother writing a review here.

Little correspondence between online menu and the actual menu. Therefore quite disappointing. "Prix fixe"? "Never heard of it." Then, "Yes we did have that but not any more." The nonsense of forcing the guests to call to confirm a reservation is ridiculous. Getting a run around twice and then no answer when we DID call is unacceptably unprofessional. Had we not invited four friends, I would have cancelled after that phone experience. The first bottle of wine served had to be rejected. My entrée, duck breast, was so tough it was inedible. The rabbit entrée was ultimately incomprehensible to our guest. Fussy, silly pretentious presentations. "Cutesy" is no substitute for good ingredients carefully prepared. Our four guests, experienced diners, were certainly less than thrilled by the meal and by my choosing Café des architects. This had been our go-to place for special occasions, but never again.

Imaginative, top-quality dishes you are not likely to find elsewhere that are prepared and presented with care in a sophisticated, modern room that is a cross between an art gallery and a salon. Well-informed staff. Always a treat.

Nous étions au resto à 18h. Un peu tôt donc pas encore beaucoup de monde. Mais le cadre & l’accueil...

The entries were not very good or a good representation of French cuisine. Appetizers were better but not for the price point. I would not visit again.

I have been receiving the Chicago Magazine for several weeks prior to my trip. I was ver surprised to see very few diners on a Saturday evening. The lounge was packed and boisterous. The wine was very good but I had to asked for refills....

We had Easter lunch. Meat was very dry and hard. Dessert table was so so. Colorful macarons and small size desserts

Very nice and chic deco. Service is super! Food is good. Dessert is so pretty and waiters are great! Price is not as high as neighboring restaurants. I would definitely go again and it's quiet. Very nice!

My experience at Cafe des Architectes overall is excellent. Excellent French cuisine, presentation and service. 🍾👌

We arrived a little earlier than our reservation. The atmosphere was very inviting bordering on luxurious. We started with champagne, and both of us decided on sea trout that was cooked to perfection. Romi our waiter was wonderful; he even sang a wee bit (in...

Fixed price meal for valentines dinner was not noted on open table reservation. Would have liked a forewarning. Food was expertly prepared and above expectations with the bread being the one exception. It tasted “day old” and served with French butter no less.

The service was very good attention to detail and the food was excellent. 👍

Food and atmosphere were both lovely. But what made the meal memorable was definitely one of the bussers, Purna. Both friendly and polite, he made the visit an absolute delight! You guys are lucky to have him as part of your staff!

We had a wonderful lunch at Cafe Des Architectes/CDA. Highly Recommended

Very slow service; Lunch should not take 1-1/2 hours. Knowing that it was Restaurant Week, I feel as though they should have been better prepared. PS: It WAS NOT crowded either...

We had the restaurant week menu. The food was ok, not particularly good, but certainly not bad either. The service was spotty. Our main server was friendly, but seemed confused and under informed about the menu and drink lists. We ordered the cheese supplement and never received it. The server apologized for forgetting and we weren’t charged for the cheese. The mignardises and chocolates didn’t arrive at the end, so I asked about them and he said that due to restaurant week they ran out. Odd given that the restaurant was nearly empty. There was a baptism party going on upstairs in the hotel event space. The music was loud and unpleasant throughout the entire meal... obviously the restaurant has no control over that, but it was far from optimal.

Cafe des Archetectes is a small restaurant within the Sofitel Hotel. It is not popular, and reservations are probably not necessary even for a saturday night. They seemed a little disorganized, but were pleasant and reasonably attentive. The menu is not large. The night we were there, the restaurant had run out of potatoes. Considering the price, $180 for 3 people, I think there are much better choices.

Hadn't been to Cafe D A for an age, and sorry that we haven't. The setting has not lost its lustre -- chic red, silver and warm wood tones. It is super conversation friendly, even though there were several large parties the night we at here. Food is good, not great. Service is good; not great. It's on the pricier side of Chicago offerings, but that should not be a reason not to go.

As usual, wonderful service, ambiance and my favorite waiter Romi was there.

We were staying at the Sofitel, so for the first night, I made reservations at this restaurant, which is part of the hotel. When we were seated outside, the waiter brought 2 complimentary glasses of an excellent champagne. The champagne was provided because I had...

We were staying at the Sofitel so had to try out their restaurant. Food was well presented - I had the rabbit and my wife ate the fish both were tasty.. We booked early and were presented with two free glasses of champagne, a nice...

We went for the pre fixe dinner on New Year’s Eve. I realize that the restaurant was working under unusual circumstances since it was very full for this special occasion. However, the service was appalling. We waited 15 minutes beyond our reservation time to be seated then waited another 10 before we even ordered drinks. On top of that, it took at least 7 more minutes for our pre-meal drinks (3 champagnes and a dirty martini) to arrive - the martini came without the requested olive and the olive had to be delivered on a plate several minutes later. During the dinner which had only 2 choices per course, several identical course offerings were served on entirely different dishes and not plated in the same way at all. When the forks were delivered to the table for the meat course, one of our diners was given a dessert fork for her filet. Our server was NOT attentive and seemed to have far too many tables for a fine dining experience - the maitre d’ was also trying to check coats and call for next reservations in the lobby. Since the temp was in negative digits there were lots of coats, scarves, gloves etc. to be handled and the combination did NOT work at all. In conclusion, I went expecting the hefty price tag (over $600 for 4 diners) but I also expected that price to bring exceptional attention from our server (he got over $100 in tips from our table after all) and at least one totally unforgettable dish. I got neither.

Food was great, but it seems like the air conditioning was on when it's zero degrees outside. Many of us in the restaurant were cold wearing our coats and asking to move tables.

Christmas Dinner was spectacular. I frequently dine here. It has become my favorite restaurant in the city. Used to live in the neighborhood and came for breakfast at least once a week and sat outside. The quality of the food for breakfast, lunch, dinner gets better each year. I also enjoy the express lunch. Looking forward to returning soon.

Christmas Eve. Reservation for 6 people and the only table available was a temporary table that could seat 8-10 , covered with a vinyl cloth and shoved against a wall in the small bar area.

In Chicago for my annual Christmas shopping trip and I had not been to this restaurant in more than three years. I went for the tasting menu and added the wine paring. Wowza. It does not get much better. Each course was perfectly cooked and...

Very pretty, small hotel lobby restaurant. Very good service. We, however, went with a LivingSocial voucher. menu was quite limited. Two entrees to choose from. Not anything special with the first course either unless you like beets!!! It is very nice but I suggest going and ordering off the regular menu. I would bet the options are better. Nice place!!!

Our dinner choices were all great, the pheasant and the Creme Brulee desert being our absolute favorites, the scallop appetizer and the crab cakes were also delicious. Unfortunately the bread basket choices don't match the expectation one has while eating here. Also: A 'Taste of...

Very disappointing experience overall. We were a 6 ppl reso on Thanksgiving night. They sat us at a round (banquet style) table near the server station/kitchen/bar. This table was obviously only put there to accommodate more guests that evening. It was not part of the main dining room. Also it was set for 8 ppl with 8 chairs. They couldn’t even set it up properly before seating us. We had to ask staff members several times to take away the extra settings. They seemed short staffed and unprepared. Our server tried his best I suppose but seemed stretched very thin and the lack of service reflected that. He would take a drink order and run away without seeing if anyone else needed anything at the table which usually means he was overwhelmed. We ordered a bottle of champagne and later a bottle of white wine and both times the wine was initially poured but we had to refill our own glasses passing the bottle around to one another. This place markets itself as an upscale French restaurant and they can’t even manage proper service. My husband asked for a Sauternes with his foie Gras and the server had no idea what Sauternes was and said he would grab a wine list. He returned with a wine list as we were finishing that first course. The food overall was fine but certainly not worth the price. It’s like this restaurant is only in business because most of its patrons are tourists who will only dine there once. Another service standard that was ignored is when a patron leaves the table a staff member usually re-folds their napkin for them. Not here! My sister and her date got special vegan appetizers and entrées prepared for them which is very accommodating and appreciated. However the entrée they received looked terrible and they said it was bland and tasteless. They served us a Calvados in a champagne flute. Clueless. I actually apologized several times to my family for bringing them here for Thanksgiving. It was an embarrassment and a complete rip off.

I’ve been going to CDA for years, even for holidays. This year wasn’t so good. The food was pretty bad, the ambience was horrible. I think they overbooked to make money and didn’t have the staffing to keep up. Barely saw my server. When they brought my entree, my amuse and salad plates hadn’t been cleared.